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JOHN  N.  SHACKLEFORD 

GLENVILLE,  WEST  VIRGINIA 

Late  a  Member  of  the  Senate  from  the  Tenth  Senatorial  District 


REUBEN  PERRY  SHINN 

RIPLEY,  WEST  VIRGINIA 

Late  a  Member  of  the  Senate  from  the  Fourth  Senatorial  District 


JOHN  N.  SHACKLEFORD 

(Late  a  Senator  from  the  Tenth  Senatorial  District) 

REUBEN  PERRY  SHINN 

(Late  a  Senator  from  the  Fourth  Senatorial  District) 


MEMORIAL  ADDRESSES 

DELIVERED  IN  THE  SENATE  OF 
WEST  VIRGINIA,  APRIL  23,  1923 


Charleston,  1923 


JARBETT  printing 


COMPANY 


CHARLESTON 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Proceedings  in  the  Senate .  5 

Prayer  by  Chaplain  S.  P.  Crummett .  6 

Memorial  Addresses  by: 

Mr.  John  M.  Baker,  of  the  Fourth  Senatorial  District .  7 

Mr.  John  Kee,  of  the  Seventh  Senatorial  District .  10 

Mr.  George  W.  Bowers,  of  the  Eleventh  Senatorial  District...,  12 

Mr.  Harry  H.  Darnall,  of  the  Fifth  Senatorial  District .  13 

Mr.  R.  F.  Kidd,  of  the  Tenth  Senatorial  District .  14 

Mr.  Charles  G.  Coffman,  of  the  Twelfth  Senatorial  District....  17 

Mr.  Clyde  B.  Johnson,  of  the  Eighth  Senatorial  District .  19 

Mr.  T.  P.  Hill,  of  the  Second  Senatorial  District .  21 

Mr.  John  S.  Darst,  of  Kanawha  County .  23 


599073 


SENATE  OF  WEST  VIRGINIA 


Charleston,  April  23,  1923. 

The  hour  of  2:30  o’clock,  P.  m.,  having  arrived,  the  time  heretofore  fixed 
for  appropriate  memorial  exercises  in  honor  of  Senator  J.  N.  Shackleford 
and  Senator  R.  P.  Shinn, 

Mr.  Kidd  presiding, 

Mr.  Baker  offered  the  following: 


Resolved,  That  the  business  of  the  Senate  be  suspendcJ  in  order  that  an  opportunity  may  be  given  members 
and  ex-members  of  this  Senate  to  pay  tribute  to  tnc  memories  of  Senator  J.  N.  Shackleford  and  Senator  R.  P 
Shtnn,  late  members  of  this  body,  as  a  special  mark  of  respect  to  the  deceased  and  in  recognition  of  their  distin¬ 
guished  public  careers.  Be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  a  complete  copy  of  the  resolutions  and  addresses  made  on  this  occasion  be  furnished  to  the 
families  of  the  deceased. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Baker  the  rules  were  suspended  and  the  resolution  was 
taken  up  for  immediate  consideration,  read  by  the  Clerk,  and  adopted. 

Thereupon  the  Senate  convened  in  special  session  for  memorial  exercises, 
in  accordance  with  the  resolution,  and  the  following  proceedings  were  had: 


[5] 


LIemorial  Addresses 


PRAYER 

Chaplain  S.  P.  Crummett 

Our  Heavenly  Father,  we  gather  this  beautiful  afternoon  in  this  place  for 
service  and  duty,  but  in  the  midst  of  the  activities  and  work  of  this  session 
we  are  called  upon  to  pause  for  a  time  to  consider,  think,  speak  and  act  with 
reference  to  the  services  of  two  of  the  comrades  of  this  body,  two  fellow  servants 
and  fellow  laborers  together  for  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  the  State 
and  of  all  that  pertains  thereto.  While  we  bow  submissively  to  this  dispen¬ 
sation  of  Thy  providence,  we  recognize  our  weaknesses  and  our  shortsighted¬ 
ness.  We  cannot  see  far,  and  we  know  not  what  is  coming,  or  when  it  is  com¬ 
ing,  or  how,  nor  how  soon  some  of  us  may  likewise  pass  on  and  leave  our  places 
for  some  one  else  to  fill.  So,  Heavenly  Father,  we  pray  that  there  may  come 
to  each  of  us  a  thoughtfulness  and  consideration  with  reference  to  these  cer¬ 
tainties  that  are  before  each  and  all  of  us,  and  to  which  we  shall  all  come; 
that  whether  it  come  soon  or  late,  sudden  or  by  long  lingering  illness,  we  may 
be  ready  to  pass  out  into  the  larger  and  richer  and  better  life. 

We  pray  Thy  blessing.  Father,  upon  the  bereft  homes  of  these  Senators 
who  have  passed  on.  Do  Thou  grant  to  so  comfort  and  console  them  in  their 
hours  of  loneliness,  in  their  hours  of  sadness  and  their  times  of  helplessness 
when  the  helpers  have  gone,  that  they  may  look  to  Thee  for  guidance  and 
help.  Thou  hast  promised  not  only  to  be  a  father  to  the  fatherless,  but  a 
husband  to  the  widow. 

We  pray  now  Thy  blessing  upon  this  session  and  all  that  shall  enter  into  it, 
whether  of  devotion  or  business,  and  may  the  spirit  of  God  abide  with  us  all 
in  the  pardoning  of  our  sins,  and  the  guiding  of  each  of  us  to  the  largest  and 
richest  and  best  life.  We  ask  it  all  with  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins  in  the  name 
of  Christ,  the  Redeemer.  Amen. 


[6] 


Southern  Pamphlets 
Rare  Book  Collection 
UNC-Chapel  Hill 


Memorial  Addresses 


MEMORIAL  ADDRESSES 


Address  of  Mr.  John  M.  Baker,  of  Roane  County, 

Senator  from  the  Fourth  Senatorial  District 

Mr.  President:  Since  the  sessions  of  the  Legislature  of  1921  the  Grim 
Reaper  has  visited  this  body  and  taken  therefrom  two  of  its  members.  It 
was  not  my  pleasure  to  know  the  first  one  to  go.  Other  gentlemen  will  speak 
of  his  life,  character  and  worthy  deeds.  I  shall  speak  only  of  my  fallen  col¬ 
league.  In  his  death  this  body  lost  a  conscientious,  energetic,  straight-think¬ 
ing,  clear-seeing  and  courageous  member.  In  the  sudden  taking  of  Senator 
R.  P.  Shinn  from  us  by  the  hand  of  Death,  the  State  lost  a  valuable  legislator 
and  his  associates  a  wise  counsellor. 

As  evidence  of  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held,  he  was  twice  elected 
to  the  office  of  sheriff  of  his  native  county  of  Jackson;  later  was  a  presidential 
elector  and  lastly  a  member  of  this  body.  Numerous  other  instances  might 
be  cited  to  show  the  confidence  and  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  fellow 
men,  but  I  content  myself  with  mentioning  these. 

While  all  the  members  of  this  body  feel  the  loss  of  Senator  Shinn  and  will 
long,  perhaps  always,  remember  him  and  cherish  that  memory;  yet  I  feel 
that  I  may  take  the  liberty  of  saying  that  the  loss  is  greater  to  those  of  us 
who  enjoyed  that  intimate  association  with  him  that  some  of  us  were  privileged 
to  enjoy.  To  those  to  whom  he  was  simply  “Doug”  Shinn,  their  sympathetic 
friend  and  companion,  the  loss  is  even  greater.  And  to  the  immediate  members 
of  his  family  the  loss  is  beyond  our  comprehension.  My  intimate  association 
with  him  began  nearly  twenty  years  ago  and  continued  uninterruptedly 
until  his  death.  Shortly  after  the  beginning  of  such  association  he  and  I 
entered  a  campaign  for  public  office,  and  soon  after  the  close  thereof  entered 
upon  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  our  respective  offices,  and  for  four  years 
were  closely  associated  with  each  other.  And  whatever  measure  of  success 
I  may  claim  for  myself  as  a  public  official  at  that  time,  I  am  fully  conscious 
of  the  fact  that  he  very  largely  contributed  thereto  by  the  fact  that  he  per¬ 
formed  well  his  duties  as  sheriff  of  his  native  county. 

Senator  Shinn  was  peculiarly  one  of  the  common  people  and  believed  in 
and  trusted  them.  He  loved  mankind.  He  believed  in  and  trusted  humanity 
until  he  was  forced  to  make  exceptions  due  to  the  betrayal  of  such  trust. 
He  was  endowed  by  nature  with  a  forceful  personality  and  the  courage  of 
his  convictions.  He  possessed  great  energy  and  unusual  business  ability. 
He  had  breadth  of  vision.  He  became  and  remained  for  many  years  prior 
to  his  death  a  leader  of  men  and  a  moulder  of  public  opinion,  and,  without 
injustice  to  others,  accumulated  more  property  than  it  is  the  common  lot  of 
man  to  accumulate  under  conditions  similar  to  those  which  surrounded  him. 

The  greatest  tributes  of  respect  which  have  been  and  will  be  shown  him, 
have  and  will  come  from  the  countless  numbers  who  have  gratefully  enjoyed 
the  generous  hospitality  of  his  home,  received  help  in  financial  straits,  and 

[7] 


i\lEMORiAL  Addresses 


been  the  recipients  of  his  gifts  in  time  of  need.  Hundreds  have  reason  for 
feeling  grateful  to  him  and  for  shedding  the  tears  they  have  shed  over  his 
newly  made  grave.  The  home  of  “Doug”  Shinn  was  open  alike  to  all.  His 
liberality  was  not  withheld  from  those  who  did  not  believe  as  he  did.  When 
a  church  was  to  be  built  he  did  not  ask  what  doctrines  were  to  be  promulgated 
therein.  It  was  sufficient  to  enlist  his  help  when  he  knew  that  the  principles 
of  Christianity  were  to  be  thereby  given  to  mankind.  He  not  only  gave 
help  and  dispensed  hospitality  as  one  living  “by  the  side  of  the  road,”  but 
he  went  into  the  highways  as  well  on  the  same  mission. 

Upon  memory's  canvas  will  long  remain  this  picture  indelibly  stamped 
thereon  by  the  life  and  character  of  Senator  Shinn.  He  first  opened  his  eyes 
upon  this  world  on  the  20th  day  of  July,  1860,  in  the  midst  of  and  perhaps  at 
the  peak  of  the  sectional  strife  that  culminated  in  that  great  internecine 
conflict  in  which  the  armies  of  the  Blue  and  Gray  surged  back  and  forth 
over  the  battle  grounds  now  famous  as  monuments  to  that  gigantic  struggle. 
And  we  may  well  imagine,  if  not  actually  assert,  that  at  his  birth  he  caught 
some  of  the  then  prevalent  feeling  of  devotion  to  duty,  courage  of  one’s  con¬ 
victions,  visions  of  the  future  of  this  country  and  loyalty  to  a  cause. 

In  his  childhood  dreams  he  heard  the  tramping  of  armed  men,  and  there 
was  brought  to  his  ears  upon  the  wings  of  the  breeze  the  clash  of  weapons, 
the  shouting  of  the  victors,  the  lamentations  of  the  vanquished,  the  weeping 
of  women,  the  sorrowing  of  children  and  the  prayers  of  the  comforter.  Are 
not  we  then  w^arranted  in  saying  that  all  of  these  things  left  their  impress 
upon  the  life  of  him  to  whom  we  pay  this  mark  of  respect  ?  We  know  that  he 
was  born  amid  rather  primitive  conditions  and  that  his  life  was  a  struggle 
from  the  beginning  until  his  form  lay  silent  and  motionless  forever.  We  know 
that  he  spent  his  life  in  combat  with  nature;  in  fighting  for  the  objects  of  his 
desire,  and  in  helpfulness.  When  sorrow  overtook  his  neighbors,  he  lent  a 
helping  hand,  bowed  his  head  in  recognition  of  the  will  of  God  and  sought  to 
comfort  the  sorrowing.  Into  the  various  contests  of  life  he  threw  himself 
with  all  of  his  strength  and  asked  no  favors  except  fair  play.  He  attained 
his  ends  so  far  as  possible;*  and  with  all  he  was  unresentful  in  defeat,  and 
when  victory  came  was  grateful  to  those  who  helped  to  make  it  possible. 

As  we  follow  the  details  of  this  picture  we  see  him  espousing  the  causes  he 
believed  in  and  standing  by  them  to  the  last.  There  prominently  stands  out 
his  sturdy,  rugged  honesty,  and  his  uncomprising  adherence  to  the  right  as 
he  saw  it.  No  less  conspicuous  is  his  loyalty  to  his  friends  and  his  confidence 
and  trust  in  humanity.  We  see  him  seemingly  possessed  of  his  usual  strength 
and  vigor,  urging  action  on  the  legislation  which  he  thought  best  for  his  native 
and  beloved  State,  and  while  so  engaged,  he  is  stricken  with  a  fatal  malady. 
Next  we  see  him  in  lovable,  skillful  hands  where  by  their  aid  he  is  fighting 
with  all  his  strength  to  stay  off  the  inevitable  and  final  earthly  end  of  man. 
With  unbelievable  swiftness  the  end  came,  and  we  mourn  his  loss.  And, 
paraphrasing  the  language  of  another,  I  stand  today  among  the  hundreds  who 
loved  him  and  the  thousands  who  lament  his  death. 


[8] 


Memorial  Addresses 


To  you,  my  colleague,  I  commend  your  spirit  to  the  One  which  gave  it, 
and  reluctantly  consign  your  body  to  the  earth  from  whence  it  came.  In 
doing  so,  I  do  not  however  efface  from  my  mind  the  memory  of  you  and  your 
kindly  deeds  performed  while  with  us.  I  shall  remember  you  in  the  vigor  and 
strength  of  your  manhood,  and  amid  the  flowers  which  surrounded  you  for 
the  last  time  in  your  home  with  those  who  knew  you  best  and  loved  you 
most,  and  may  your  spirit  hover  over  them  and  comfort  them  in  their  sorrow. 


[9] 


Memorial  Addresses 


Address  of  Mr.  John  Kee,  of  Mercer  County, 

Seventh  Senatorial  District 

Mr.  President:  I  feel  some  hesitancy  in  adding  my  tribute  to  the  beautiful 
one  paid  to  the  Senator  by  his  colleague,  or  saying  anything  in  reference  to 
the  memory  of  John  N.  Shackleford.  What  I  might  say  cannot  detract 
from  nor  add  to  their  past,  which  they  so  well  and  nobly  wrought  for  them¬ 
selves.  Yet,  knowing  them  as  I  did,  knowing  both  of  them  in  their  lifetime, 
I  cannot  refrain  from  placing  one  tribute,  like  a  forget-me-not,  upon  the 
altar  of  their  remembrance  in  testimony  of  the  goodness  and  virtues  of  those 
men  whom  we  have  known  and  whom  we  have  lost. 

I  shall  speak  of  them  rather  as  personal  friends  of  mine,  and  not  so  much 
as  to  their  public  life  and  their  public  efforts  during  their  lifetime. 

I  was  born  and  raised  in  the  little  country  town  that  was  the  home  of  Senator 
John  N.  Shackleford.  I  knew  him  from  my  early  boyhood  up  until  the 
(day  of  his  death.  I  knew  him  when  he  was  surrounded  by  his  friends  and 
by  those  who  loved  and  cared  for  him,  and  who  admired  his  sterling  qualities. 
I  knew  him  in  his  home  life,  and  I  knew  him  in  his  public  life,  and  he  stood 
head  and  shoulders  with  the  most  stalwart  men  of  our  country.  He  stood 
first  in  the  love  of  those  by  whom  he  was  surrounded.  His  home  life  was 
ideal.  His  public  life  was  characterized  by  that  honestness  and  directness 
of  purpose  that  was  known  to  characterize  the  life  of  John  N.  Shackleford 
from  the  time  he  reached  manhood  until  death  called  him. 

While  I  knew  Senator  Shinn  for  only  a  few  brief  weeks,  yet  during  that  time 
he  so  impressed  upon  me  his  personality  that  I  was  able  to  call  him  a  friend. 
I  was  impressed  from  the  time  I  met  Senator  Shinn  with  his  rugged  person¬ 
ality,  with  his  innate  honesty,  with  his  sterling  qualities,  with  his  ability, 
with  his  absolute  justness  and  fairness.  In  this  Senate  I  have  never  seen 
him  influenced  by  the  dictates  of  political  expediency.  It  seemed  that  at 
all  times  his  vote  and  his  efforts  were  for  the  public  good  and  for  public  right¬ 
eousness.  He  represented  not  only  the  people  of  his  district,  but  he  repre¬ 
sented  the  people  of  the  entire  State. 

The  State  of  West  Virginia  suffered  a  great  loss  when  these  two  men  were 
called  to  go  down  into  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death.  It  has  sometimes 
occurred  to  us  how  wonderful  and  how  strange  death  is,  and  how  strange  are 
the  rules  of  Providence.  We  wonder  at  it  and  we  cannot  understand.  Some¬ 
times  it  seems  that  the  worthy  are  taken,  and  the  unworthy  are  left.  We 
cannot  understand  why  Divine  Providence  should  take  from  us  men  of  this 
character  in  the  prime  of  life.  We  go  through  life  drifting  and  groping  like 
a  little  child  in  the  darkness,  reaching  out  our  hands,  however,  for  the  One 
above  to  guide  us  and  direct  us,  hoping  that  the  acts  of  the  God  who  rules 
over  us  are  all  for  the  best,  and  that  some  day  we  will  be  led  into  the  light. 
But  above  the  darkness  of  the  tomb,  above  all  the  shadows  that  fall  upon 
us,  there  gleams  forever  the  rainbow  of  the  eternal  home,  and  that  is  our 
knowledge  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  It  is  not  merely  a  hope.  It  is  an 
absolute  fact. 


[10] 


Memorial  Addresses 


Only  a  few  months  ago  we  saw  the  beautiful  carpet  of  green  out  in  our 
fields  turn  to  dead  brown ;  we  saw  the  flowers  fade  and  die  and  their  fragrance 
depart;  we  saw  the  leaves  turn  red  and  then  to  brown,  and  drop  upon  the 
cold,  damp  earth,  as  though  the  living  things  of  nature  were  dead.  But  now 
under  the  influence  of  the  bright  sunshine,  those  dead  things  of  nature  burst 
forth  into  beautiful  foliage,  into  wonderful  bloom,  and  into  flowers  bright 
and  sweet  as  the  poet’s  song. 

It  is  thus  with  friends.  We  mourn  today  for  those  to  whom  we  pay  tribute. 
They  have  but  passed  away  for  a  little  while,  and  sometime  we  shall  meet 
them  again. 

I  sometimes  think  that  death  is  not  the  sombre  thing  that  we  dream  of  at 
times.  I  believe  when  the  time  comes  that  we  shall  go  down,  that  we  will  not 
find  anything  to  be  dreaded,  but  we  will  find  the  wonderful  valley  along  which 
will  flow  the  River  of  Life,  and  down  that  valley  will  stretch  a  wondrous  way, 
bordered  by  trees  through  which  the  sunlight  will  make  beautiful  patterns 
below  in  the  valley  where  the  roses  and  jessamine  lend  their  fragrant  perfume, 
and  we  will  be  met  by  those  we  have  loved  and  lost,  and  who  will  take  us  by 
the  hand  and  lead  us  into  the  land  of  perpetual  peace. 

When  we  consider  the  lives  of  these  men,  we  know  that  when  they  were 
called,  out  of  the  shadow  soft  and  low  came  the  voice  of  the  Master  who  said, 
“What  have  you  done  in  this  day  I  gave  to  you,”  that  each  of  them  answered 
“My  best.” 

We  can  say  of  these  two  who  have  gone  into  the  shadows,  as  of  the  noblest 
Roman  of  them  all, 

“His  life  so  gentle  and  the  elements  in  him  were  so  mixed  that  nature  might 
stand  up  and  say  to  all  the  world,  here  was  a  man.” 


# 


[11] 


JMemorial  Addresses 


Address  of  Mr.  George  W.  Bowers,  of  Marion  County, 
Eleventh  Senatorial  District 

Mr.  President,  and  Members  of  the  Senate  of  West  Virginia:  We 
are  called  to  pay  the  last  sad  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  one  who 
has  been  called  from  our  ranks,  and  to  us  all  must  come  the  solemn  reminder 
of  the  frailty  of  human  life. 

I  cannot  permit  this  opportunity  to  pass  without  adding  my  humble  and 
heartfelt  tribute  to  the  memory  of  my  friend,  the  late  Senator  from  the  Fourth 
District.  And,  indeed,  he  was  my  friend,  as  I  was  his. 

Coming  to  the  Senate  together  in  1921,  we  soon  found  we  were  in  accord 
on  many  matters  of  public  interest,  and  the  acquaintance  then  formed  ripened 
into  a  friendship  that  continued  until  his  death. 

Can  those  of  us  among  the  eighteen  Senators  remaining  who  were  present 
at  the  meeting  when  Senator  ShHiNN  was  taken  ill,  ever  forget  how,  without 
warning,  the  Grim  Reaper  entered  our  midst  and  placed  his  icy  finger  on  the 
one  who  seemed  most  unlikely  to  be  called  ?  How  almost  in  the  twinkling  of 
an  eye  his  sturdy  form  was  prostrated  ? 

Senator  Shinn  was  a  man  of  strong  and  positive  convictions;  a  man  of  keen 
insight  into  human  affairs.  True  it  is  he  was  not  always  in  agreement  with 
all  the  members  of  this  body,  but  there  never  was  a  criticism  of  Senator  Shinn 
when  he  took  his  stand  on  any  question,  because,  my  friends,  everyone  here 
recognized  that  he  chose  the  right  as  he  saw  it,  and  stood  by  his  convictions 
like  the  stalwart  man  he  was. 

To  the  people  of  his  district  his  untimely  taking  off  comes  as  a  shock  of 
personal  bereavement.  He  loved  his  district  and  its  people,  and  they,  by 
their  votes,  had  on  more  than  one  occasion  demonstrated  their  confidence 
in  him.  He  w'as  indeed  a  faithful  servant  of  his  people. 

Missed  by  his  acquaintances,  deeply  lamented  by  his  friends,  his  association 
with  us  here  will  ever  be  among  our  most  cherished  memories. 

Every  life  ends  an  unfinished  voyage.  Our  last  port  of  call  is  never  reached. 
However  great  our  accomplishments,  the  journey  ends  with  the  most  coveted 
ports  far  away  on  the  distant  horizon.  And  so  it  was  with  Senator  Shinn. 
His  life  journey,  as  he  had  planned  it,  was  not  complete.  Apparently  in 
vigorous  health  and  but  little  past  the  three  score  mark,  he  might  well  plan 
for  an  active  career  for  a  long  period  ahead.  But  it  was  not  to  be.  God  in 
His  infinite  plan  called  him  from  his  earthly  labors  to  a  better  and  fairer 
world  beyond. 

The  world  is  the  better  for  Reuben  Perry  Shinn  having  lived  in  it. 

Farewell  to  you,  our  friend.  We  miss  your  kindly  face,  your  friendly  solici¬ 
tude,  your  never-failing  loyalty  to  the  cause  of  right. 


“The  bravest  lives  are  those  to  duty  wed. 
Whose  deeds,  both  great  and  small. 

Are  close-knit  strands  of  an  unbroken  thread 
Where  love  ennobles  all. 

The  world  may  sound  no  trumpet,  ring  no  bells; 
The  book  of  life  the  shining  record  tells.” 


Memorial  Addresses 


Address  of  Mr.  Harry  H.  Darnall,  of  Cabell  County, 

Fifth  Senatorial  District 

Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Senate:  A  few  months  ago  I 
saw  nature  wrapped  in  the  shroud  of  winter,  and  slip  into  seemingly  an  endless 
sleep.  I  few  days  ago  I  saw  her  breath  again  in  the  valleys  and  on  these 
surrounding  hills  from  beneath  a  coverlet  of  beautiful  green,  and  where  the 
rivers  skirted  the  edge  of  the  blanket  it  w^as  fringed  with  the  white  and  blue 
violets,  the  first  messengers  of  spring. 

Our  Creator  was  only  causing  the  scenery  of  life  to  be  shifted  and  was 
arranging  for  another  play.  A  few  days  ago  I  saw  a  man  in  the  full  strength 
of  years  performing  his  part  as  a  member  of  this  body.  An  unbidden  messenger 
came  and  with  a  gentle  touch  upon  the  shoulder  she  summoned  him  to  answer 
the  Creator’s  call. 

He  left  us  and  went  away. 

I  looked  today  down  the  pathway  of  life  to  the  end  of  the  stretch  where 
the  footsteps  of  mortality  cease  their  travels  and  across  the  space  I  saw  two 
travelers  who  have  finished  the  journey,  one  welcoming  the  other.  I  find  them 
the  colleagues  who  have  gone  before. 

To  some  of  us  they  seem  to  be  so  hopelessly  far  away  that  some  have  called 
it  the  “Land  of  Out-of-Reach.”  Do  you  think  them  out  of  reach  ?  No.  By 
my  own  dead  I  deny  your  out-of-reach.  Be  comforted;  its  not  too  far  to  die. 
By  their  well-remembered  smiles  and  welcoming  speech  they  wait  for  us  today 
thousands  of  miles  this  side  of  out-of-reach. 


[13] 


Memorial  Addresses 


Address  of  Mr.  R.  F.  Kidd,  of  Gilmer  County, 
Tenth  Senatorial  District 


(Mr.  Baker,  Presiding.) 

Mr.  President:  So  much  has  been  said,  and  so  well  said,  that  I  might 
be  content  to  drop  a  tear  upon  the  bier  of  these  two  deceased  friends.  But 
it  is  meet  that  we  lay  aside  our  duties  for  the  moment,  forgetting  our  passions, 
our  political  prejudices,  and  join  together  in  paying  tribute  to  the  memory  of 
our  departed  brothers. 

To  me,  the  sweetest  thing  in  life  is  to  watch  the  rose  of  friendship  grow  and 
bloom  across  party  walls,  and  shed  its  beauty  and  its  sweetness  alike  upon 
Republicans  and  Democrats.  Today  we  forget  that  we  are  anything  but 
West  Virginians  and  Americans.  It  was  such  men  as  those  to  whom  we  pay 
tribute  this  evening  that  have  builded  up  our  State  and  our  government, 
and  we  look  out  this  evening  over  our  fair  country,  extending  from  where 
God’s  perpetual  bow  of  peace  glorifies  Niagara’s  cliff,  to  our  southern  sea-girt 
lines  where  divine  blessings  make  it  seem  an  Eden  of  beauty  and  perfection; 
from  Plymouth  Rock,  where  the  eastern  song  of  the  sea  begins  her  morning’s 
music,  to  the  far-away  Pacific,  where  the  very  tides  murmur  an  evening 
benediction  upon  our  beloved  land  as  they  roll  out  beneath  the  setting  sun, 
and  we  ask  whence  it  all  came.  Did  it  drop  down  from  the  heavens  above  ? 
Or,  upward  spring  from  the  soft  greensward  ?  And  the  answer  comes  that 
it  was  builded  by  those  who  endured  hardship  and  toil  and  the  shedding  of 
blood. 

And  so  it  is  to  such  men  as  we  mourn  this  evening  who  have  borne  their 
part  in  the  upbuilding  of  these. 

One  of  them  was  my  life-long  friend  and  predecessor  in  office.  The  other 
I  had  known  for  some  years. 

I  remember  the  kindness  of  Senator  Shinn.  Years  ago,  when  I  was  much 
younger  than  I  am  now,  sent  by  my  party  over  into  his  county  to  try  to  con¬ 
vert  it,  he  took  me  by  the  hand  and  said,  “Young  man,  you  will  have  a  hard 
job,  but  I  am  your  friend  while  you  are  here.”  And  he  treated  me  so  kindly 
and  so  sweetly  that  he  won  my  love.  He  was  my  friend  in  this  Senate,  and 
just  before  he  left  me  at  the  elevator  to  go  down  to  hold  a  conference  with  his 
party  conferees,  he  said  to  me  that  his  heart  was  fixed  upon  certain  measures 
that  he  wanted  brought  upon  the  floor  of  the  Senate,  and  if  he  could  not  get 
it  done,  he  asked  if  I  would  assist  him  here  in  getting  those  bills  out,  and  the 
last  thing  he  said  was,  “I  will  not  be  swayed  by  any  man’s  lash.  I  intend  to 
represent  my  people.”  And  as  I  gave  him  the  promise  of  help,  I  left  him  at 
the  elevator,  and  by  the  time  I  got  to  my  hotel  I  received  a  telephone  message 
that  the  fatal  dart  had  struck  him  down. 

I  remember  him  because  he  was  a  rugged,  honest  man.  Both  of  these  Sena¬ 
tors  were  rugged,  honest  men  who  loved  their  State  and  their  people.  They 
were  in  many  respects  alike,  and  they  are  gone. 

It  has  been  well  said, 

“When  a  good  man  dies,  far  beyond  our  ken, 

The  light  he  leaves  behind,  falls  upon  the  paths  of  men.” 

[14] 


Memorial  Addresses 


If  that  be  true,  the  light  that  they  have  thrown  across  our  pathway  will 
lead  us  through  devious  ways  of  government  and  in  our  country’s  making. 

These  men  left  their  impress  and  their  influence.  We  all  have  some  influence 
somewhere.  When  a  man  dies,  he  leaves  an  influence  for  good  or  bad.  It 
has  been  said, 


“No  stream  from  its  source  flows  seaward,  however  lonely  its  course,  but  some  land  is  gladdened  thereby; 
no  star  ever  rose  and  set  without  casting  its  influence  somewhere;  no  life  can  be  pure  in  its  purpose  and  strong  in 
its  strife,  and  all  life  not  be  sweeter  and  purer  and  better  thereby.” 


If  this  is  true, — and  who  will  deny  it  ? — these  two  eminent  Senators  have 
made  the  world  better  by  their  living. 

Senator  Shackleford  was  born  on  the  18th  of  February,  1860,  in  Upshur 
County.  He  departed  this  life  on  his  birthday — on  the  18th  day  of  February, 
1922. 

Long  before  the  civil  war  there  came  across  from  the  Albemarle  region  of 
Virginia,  a  colony  of  people  who  settled  in  the  county  of  Upshur.  Next, 
down  from  the  New  England  States  came  another  colony  and  settled  in  that 
county.  Those  two  strains  of  people  carved  out  beautiful  homes,  builded 
schoolhouses  and  churches,  and  erected  a  civilization  in  that  county  that 
has  not  been  surpassed  in  any  county  in  the  United  States.  From  that  strain 
came  my  friend,  Senator  Shackleford. 

In  our  boyhood  days  I  worked  with  him  on  the  farm;  I  went  to  school 
with  him;  I  taught  him  and  with  him.  He  came  to  my  county,  and  we  have 
been  in  business  together;  we  have  lived  on  adjoining  lots  for  years,  and  I 
have  known  him  well.  .He  lived  four-square  to  all  the  world.  Honest  in  all 
of  his  dealings  and  in  all  of  his  transactions,  he  ever  looked  to  the  good  and 
the  welfare  of  the  people. 

In  his  last  sickness,  I  had  been  away  from  home,  and  when  I  got  home  late 
at  night,  he  sent  for  me.  I  went  to  his  room.  He  was  suft'ering  very  severely, 
but  he  said,  “By  Spring  I  will  be  well.  I  have  an  unfinished  work  in  the 
Senate  of  West  Virginia.  I  want  to  know  if  you  will  stand  for  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Delegates  so  you  can  come  down  and  join  with  me  and  accom¬ 
plish  these  things.”  I  saw  then  that  the  icy  hand  of  Death  was  creeping  on 
him.  Later  when  I  went  back  and  saw  him,  he  said,  “Tell  me  all  about  these 
things.  I  want  to  hear  you  talk,  but  it  pains  me  to  talk.” 

He  met  death  as  he  had  met  life.  To  show  you  the  characteristics  of  the  man: 
He  joined  the  Baptist  church  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  and  he  was  to  be 
baptized  on  a  Sunday.  He  found  that  he  could  not  reach  home  in  time  to  be 
at  the  church,  and  he  sent  his  minister  this  telegram:  “Am  detained.  Meet 
me  at  the  bar.”  That  was  the  bar  at  the  river.  So  he  was  baptized  there  in 
the  limpid  waters  of  that  stream,  on  a  beautiful  autumnal  day.  And  let  us 
hope  that  when  his  soul  went  out,  he  met  at  the  bar  on  the  other  side,  those 
who  had  loved  and  cherished  him  in  life. 

As  he  said,  he  had  an  unfinished  work.  And  that  will  be  the  result  of  all 
of  us,  because  there  has  been  an  age-long  strife  between  right  and  wrong.  It 
has  been  beautifully  said: 


[15] 


Memorial  Addresses 


“Right  forever  on  the  scaffold, 

Wrong  forever  on  the  throne; 

Blit  that  scaffold  sways  the  future, 

And  in  the  dim  behind, 
iStandeth  God  within  the  shadow. 

Keeping  watch  above  His  own.” 

He  said  that  we  will  have  better  things.  And  that  will  be  true.  1  am  an 
optimist.  I  believe  today  is  better  than  yesterday,  and  tomorrow  will  be 
better  than  today.  I  believe  that  by  reason  of  such  lives  as  these,  the  world 
is  better.  I  believe  already 


“There  is  a  fount  about  to  flow;  there  is  a  light  about  to  glow. 
Midnight  darkness  is  changing  into  morning’s  gray. 

Men  of  thought  and  men  of  action,  clear  the  way.” 


[16] 


Memorial  Addresses 


Address  of  Mr.  Charles  G.  Coffman,  of  Harrison  County, 

Twelfth  Senatorial  District 

Mr.  President:  Senator  Reuben  Perry  Shinn,  while  not  {Demiitted 
to  attain  an  unusual  old  age,  was  privileged  to  live  a  very  full  life.  Born  and 
reared  on  a  farm  in  a  great  grazing  and  agricultural  county,  as  a  boy  and 
young  man  he  lived  in  the  open  and  communed  with  nature  until  he  developed 
the  splendid  physique  that  blessed  him  through  life.  Here,  like  most  of  our 
country’s  splendid  men,  he  breathed  pure  and  invigorating  air,  drank  from 
the  clear  and  sparkling  waters  of  our  mountain  streams,  learned  the  rules  of 
honor,  characteristic  of  the  Virginia  yeoman,  and  formed  that  splendid  Chris¬ 
tian  character  which  lived  with  him  to  the  end.  Nature  having  blessed  him 
with  physical  endurance,  placed  into  his  soul  zeal,  energy  and  ambition,  he 
was  destined  to  be  a  leader  of  his  fellowman. 

Unlike  many  young  men  of  this  age,  he  remained  true  to  his  early  environ¬ 
ment — the  farm.  While  he  was  successful  in  numerous  walks  of  life  and  was 
to  a  considerable  extent  cosmopolitan  in  his  business  endeavors,  yet  my 
association  with  him  led  me  to  believe  that  his  greatest  admiration  was  for 
the  farm.  He  loved  to  see  the  golden  grains  of  the  field  wafted  by  nature’s 
balmy  breezes,  while  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun  kissed  away  the  morning  dew 
drops.  The  broad  meadows  through  which  wended  the  crystal  mountain 
stream  and  the  large  acreage  of  blue  grass  upon  which  hundreds  of  cattle  fed, 
seemed  to  bring  out  his  greatest  business  enthusiasm.  As  a  stockman,  Senator 
Shinn  probably  had  few  superiors  in  this  great  commonwealth.  To  see  pure¬ 
bred  cattle  grazing  upon  the  green  fields  of  blue  grass  sod  stretching  over 
mountains,  hills  and  valleys  brought  forth  to  him  a  wonderful  admiration. 
However,  he  did  not  confine  his  business  activities  to  stock  raising  alone, 
for  he  was  interested  in  one  of  the  largest  retail  mercantile  establishments 
in  this  State,  and  was  a  most  careful  and  successful  banker. 

Being  a  man  of  ability,  honor  and  character,  Senator  Shinn  was  chosen  by 
his  fellow  citizens  to  be  their  political  leader.  He  was  singly  honored  and 
entrusted  as  few  men  are  honored  and  entrusted.  Early  in  life  he  was  ap¬ 
pointed  deputy  sherifi‘  and  while  in  that  capacity  so  ingratiated  himself  as 
an  official,  that  he  was  soon  elected  to  the  responsible  office  of  high  sheriff 
of  his  county.  Being  a  Republican  in  politics,  when  his  party  needed  a  county 
chairman  to  lead  it  to  victory,  it  looked  to  and  chose  “Doug”  Shinn.  But 
his  party  would  not  let  him  stop  there,  for  soon  thereafter  he  was  made  a 
member  of  the  Congressional  Committee,  and  in  1916  when  he  had  become 
one  of  his  party’s  State  leaders,  he  was  chosen  and  elected  a  Presidential 
Elector  and  cast  his  vote  for  that  great  jurist  and  statesman,  Charles  Evan 
Hughes.  Having  been  so  true  to  every  trust  bestowed  upon  him,  the  people 
of  his  senatorial  district  in  1920,  by  a  large  majority,  elected  him  to  the  State 
Senate. 

Here  it  was,  as  a  member  of  this  body  and  of  the  judiciary  committee,  we 
learned  to  know  him,  love  him,  admire  and  adore  him,  and  came  to  realize  his 
splendid  and  unerring  judgment,  his  love  for  the  right  and  for  mankind,  and 

[17] 


Memorial  Addresses 


his  true  and  even  Christian  character.  He  was  a  most  valuable  member  to 
this  body  and  all  committees  upon  which  he  served. 

It  might  be  consoling  to  his  home  friends  and  relatives  to  know  that  the 
end  came  most  peacefully — with  no  suffering — becoming  unconscious  in 
possibly  three  minutes  from  the  time  he  was  stricken.  Sitting  by  his  side 
when  the  Great  God  of  Mercy  knocked  at  his  door,  it  became  my  privilege 
to  give  first  assistance;  unconscious  of  suffering  he  came  into  the  world, 
unconscious  of  suffering  he  went  out  of  the  world. 

Senator  John  N.  Shackleford,  with  whom  I  did  not  have  the  pleasure 
of  serving  in  this  branch  of  the  Legislature,  represented  an  adjoining  district 
to  my  own.  That  he  was  a  man  of  character,  ability  and  honor,  and  true  to 
every  trust  imposed  upon  him,  was  verified  by  his  popularity  among  his 
constituents  and  by  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  those  who  knew  him.  Born 
and  brought  up  in  the  interior  of  the  State  where  mountains  rear  their  lofty 
peaks,  where  pure  and  delicious  waters  fiow,  where  mountains,  streams,  birds 
and  roaming  animals  give  lessons  of  everlasting  freedom.  Senator  Shackleford 
received  his  first  impressions  of  life.  Such  environments  laid  the  foundation 
of  his  pure  character,  his  honesty  and  integrity  and  his  love  of  freedom. 

The  departure  of  Senators  Shinn  and  Shackleford  was  a  distinct  loss 
to  their  State,  their  respective  districts,  counties  and  communities,  but  their 
impressions  live.  Then,  in  the  language  of  a  great  teacher,  “0!  death  where 
is  thy  sting,  O!  grave  where  is  thy  victory.” 


[18] 


Memorl\l  Addresses 


Address  of  Mr.  Clyde  B.  Johnson,  of  Kanawha  County, 

Eighth  Senatorial  District 

Mr.  President:  It  seems  that  little  is  left  to  say  in  honor  and  kindly 
remembrance  of  the  two  members  of  the  Senate  whom  death  has  taken  from 
this  body.  It  so  happened  that  I  knew  them  both  better  than  it  is  usually 
given  to  a  man  to  know  two  men;  not  whose  deaths  are  being  recalled,  but 
whose  lives  and  achievements  are  being  commemorated  at  the  same  time. 

I  remember  when,  as  almost  a  boy,  I  began  to  take  interest  in  things  political, 
when,  in  the  old  so-called  “Shoestring”  Fourth  Congressional  District,  I 
began  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  young  men  of  my  own  political  party 
who  came  from  the  counties  that  composed  that  district.  And  my  recollection 
goes  back  to  those  days  when,  coming  down  with  the  delegation  from  Gilmer 
county,  adding  life  and  sparkle  to  it,  was  a  young  man  that  you  could  always 
look  to  for  leadership — to  put  life  into  a  convention,  and  to  tell  you  the  truth. 
That  was  John  N.  Shackleford,  who  was  afterwards  chosen  by  the  people 
of  his  district  to  represent  them  in  this  body. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  natural  power.  When,  as  we  were  reminded  by  the 
distinguished  Senator  from  Gilmer  (Mr.  Kidd),  we  recall  the  fact  that  he 
had  his  birth  and  beginning  of  life  back  in  the  old  county  of  Upshur,  where 
there  mingled  some  of  the  finest  strains  of  American  blood  to  help  to  carve 
out  a  civilization  surpassed  by  none,  we  cannot  be  surprised  at  the  success 
that  he  achieved. 

He  was  a  man  of  fine  personality  and  fine  character.  I  remember  well  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  years  ago  when  the  malady  that  finally  carried  him  away 
first  laid  its  hand  upon  him,  and  I  went  to  see  him  as  he  languished  in  St. 
Luke’s  Hospital,  in  Parkersburg,  how  bright  and  cheerful  he  was.  That  was 
at  the  time  when  he  lost,  as  the  result  of  that  illness,  one  of  his  limbs,  but 
there  was  never  a  complaint.  When  I  dropped  in  to  see  him — which  was 
quite  often  while  he  was  there  confined — it  was  always  life  and  snap  and 
cheer  and  encouragement. 

While  not  being  permitted  to  serve  with  him  as  a  member  of  this  body,  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  living  in  the  same  city  where  he  served  the  State  as  a 
member  of  this  Senate,  and  I  am  deeply  impressed,  as  we  consider  his  life 
and  services  this  afternoon,  with  the  fact  that  he  was  a  useful  Senator;  he 
was  a  conscientious,  industrious,  able  representative  of  his  district,  and  when 
he  passed  from  public  service,  his  loss  was  a  serious  one  to  the  State  and  to 
his  district. 

Mr.  President,  the  death  of  Senator  Shinn  brought  to  me  also  a  very  real 
sense  of  personal  loss.  My  acquaintance  with  him  dates  back  to  my  young 
manhood,  and  covers  a  quarter  of  a  century.  The  fact  that  our  paths  diverged 
politically  did  not  interfere  with  our  close  personal  friendship,  and  I  always 
had  the  greatest  respect  for  his  sterling  honesty,  and  for  those  rugged  qualities 
of  manhood  which  made  him  a  leader  of  men.  When  Senator  Shinn  reached 
a  conclusion  on  any  question,  you  might  not  agree  with  it,  but  you  were 
compelled  to  respect  it  as  the  opinion  of  an  honest  man.  Always  deliberate 
and  careful  in  decision,  when  he  once  took  a  position  he  was  as  firm  as  adamant. 

[19] 


Memorial  Addresses 


But  with  all  of  his  firmness  and  strength  of  character  he  had  the  heart  of  a 
child  in  its  kindness  and  affection  for  others.  This  side  of  the  Senator  from 
Jackson  came  to  be  appreciated  by  us  w’ho  served  with  him  in  this  body, 
where  the  real  qualities  of  head  and  heart  quickly  develop. 

A  more  industrious  and  useful  member  has  not  occupied  a  seat  in  this  Senate 
since  I  have  known  its  membership.  His  district,  and  the  entire  State,  have 
sustained  a  severe  loss.  And  we  can  scarcely  believe  that  he  is  gone.  I  find 
myself  looking  across  to  his  chair,  and  listening  for  his  vote  on  the  roll-call. 

Death  touched  Reuben  Perry  Shinn  in  the  hour  of  his  greatest  success — 
his  largest  usefulness — and  in  the  full  strength  of  his  manhood.  But  who 
can  say  that  he  would  not  have  chosen  to  have  it  so  ?  To  go  painlessly,  and 
almost  in  the  flash  of  an  eye  from  apparent  rugged  health,  and  from  the  arena 
of  active  life,  to  that  perfect  rest,  which  after  all  is  God’s  greatest  gift  ?  With 
the  exception  of  my  friend,  the  Senator  from  Taylor,  who  attended  him  pro¬ 
fessionally,  I  was  the  last  member  of  the  Senate  to  see  him  alive.  When  I 
learned  that  he  had  been  stricken  I  hurried  to  his  bedside.  I  knew  he  was 
dying,  passing  unconsciously  and  without  pain,  to  the  solution  of  life’s  greatest 
mystery — death.  No  long  illness,  no  pain,  no  conscious  loss  of  strength  and 
powers — just  a  single  step  from  a  full  life  to  a  fuller  life.  While  I  could  not 
restrain  the  tears,  yet  I  thought,  what  a  beautiful  death  to  die,  and  my  silent 
prayer  was  that  my  end  might  be  like  his. 

Our  friend  has  but  “wrapped  the  drapery  of  his  couch  about  him  and  laid 
down  to  pleasant  dreams.” 


[20J 


Memorial  Addresses 


Address  of  Mr.  T.  P.  Hill,  of  Tyler  County, 

Second  Senatorial  District 

Mr.  President,  Fellow  Senators  and  Friends:  We  meet  this  after¬ 
noon  to  do  honor  to  one  of  our  fellow  members  who  has  answered  the  last 
roll  call,  and  has  left  in  our  chamber  saddened  hearts  and  a  vacant  chair. 

In  the  discharge  of  duty  to  his  people  and  State  the  summons  came  to  Senator 
Shinn,  and  as  he  fell  into  the  arms  of  his  colleagues,  with  but  a  few  brief 
words,  the  call  was  answered,  the  book  was  closed,  life’s  work  was  done. 

Born  on  a  farm  in  the  interior  of  Mason  county,  this  State,  he  was  reared 
amidst  those  surroundings  conducive  to  the  development  of  true  character 
and  manhood.  The  story  of  his  life  is  the  story  of  a  plain,  honest,  manly 
citizen,  believing  with  all  the  strength  of  his  mighty  soul  in  the  institutions 
of  his  county  and  State.  He  had  sublime  faith  in  his  people.  He  walked 
with  them  and  among  them.  He  recognized  the  importance  and  power  of 
public  sentiment,  and  was  guided  by  it.  “My  people  want  this,”  or  “My 
people  are  opposed  to  that,’*  were  expressions  used  by  him,  familiar  to  us  all. 

While  he  had  only  a  limited  education,  he  had  graduated  in  the  college  of 
experience,  and  had  learned  to  know  and  to  appreciate  the  importance  of 
our  public  institutions.  And  while  he  was  a  friend  to  all  our  schools,  I  venture 
the  assertion  that  the  less  fortunate  boys  and  girls,  located  in  the  more  remote 
and  poorer  districts  of  our  State,  had  no  truer  friend  or  more  liberal  supporter 
than  Senator  Shinn. 

He  accommodated,  trusted,  and  befriended  his  people,  and  they,  in  turn, 
had  confidence  in  him,  and  honored  him  as  very  few  men  have  been  honored. 
He  had  twice  been  nominated  and  elected  Sheriff  of  his  county.  He  had  been 
chosen  as  Presidential  Elector  from  his  congressional  district,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  he  was  serving  his  district  as  State  Senator.  The  fact  that 
he  had  been  so  loyally  supported  by  his  people,  shows  the  implicit  confidence 
they  had  in  his  ability  and  integrity. 

As  a  business  man  he  was  a  success,  and  was  said  to  be  the  heaviest  tax¬ 
payer  in  Jackson  county.  He  was  a  successful  farmer  and  stockman.  As 
president  of  his  bank,  he  labored  for  the  success  of  his  institution. 

In  all  these  places  the  influence  of  his  guiding  hand  will  most  assuredly 
be  missed,  but  nowhere  shall  sadness  and  sorrow  fall  so  heavily  as  in  the 
home  from  which  a  devoted  husband  and  loving  father  has  so  suddenly  been 
taken. 

His  death  came  as  a  shock  to  us  all.  I  take  it  that  I  can  safely  judge  the 
feelings  of  sorrow  and  sadness  of  my  fellow  senators,  by  those  of  myself,  and 
I  can  most  truly  assure  you  that  in  his  demise  I  feel  keenly  the  great  loss  of 
a  personal  friend;  but,  with  it,  I  feel  that  I  am  a  better  man,  and  a  more 
careful  representative  of  the  people  because  of  my  acquaintance  and  exper¬ 
ience  with  Senator  Shinn. 

We  were  told  by  former  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Delegates,  Luther  W'olfe, 
that  because  of  his  wide  business  relations,  the  sudden  death  of  Senator  Shinn 
would  probably  bring  direct  inconvenience  to  at  least  one  thousand  people  in 
Jackson  county. 


[21] 


Memorial  Addresses 


Judge  O’Brien  said  that  he  not  only  helped  others,  but  that  he  had  the 
faculty  of  showing  others  how  to  help  themselves. 

His  warm  personal  friend  and  business  associate,  Captain  Walker,  said 
that  he  was  ever  a  faithful  and  untiring  worker  in  all  his  corporate  or  company 
affairs,  without  even  the  thought  of  pay  or  compensation  for  his  services, 
except  those  derived  as  a  result  of  the  success  of  the  business,  and  shared  equally 
by  all  concerned. 

As  a  member  of  the  committee  named  by  the  President  of  the  Senate  to 
accompany  the  remains  of  Senator  Shinn  to  his  late  home  in  Ripley,  and  to 
carry  to  his  friends  and  relatives  your  message  of  sorrow  and  condolence,  I 
beg  to  say  that  we  met  a  saddened  community  and  a  heart-broken  family, 
and  in  this  message  today  I  trust  we  may  bring  back  to  you  a  touch  of  their 
grief  and  sadness. 

And  as  we  again  recall  his  sudden  death,  and  by  the  power  of  imagination 
we  see  that  newly  made  grave  in  the  cemetery  at  Fairplain,  let  us  ask  ourselves 
these  questions,  “0  death,  where  is  thy  sting  ?  O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?” 

And  then  through  the  vision  of  the  poet  let  us  see  the  beauty  of  these  lines, 
and  from  them  secure  comfort  and  consolation: 


“There  is  no  death!  The  stars  go  down 
To  rise  upon  some  fairer  shore; 

And  bright  in  heaven’s  jeweled  crown 
They  rise  for  evermore. 

There  is  no  death!  The  dust  we  tread 
Shall  change  beneath  the  summer  showers 
To  golden  grain  or  mellowed  fruit 
Or  rainbow  tinted  flowers. 

The  granite  rocks  disorganize, 

.\nd  feed  the  hungry  moss  they  bear ; 

The  forest  leaves  drink  daily  life 
From  out  the  viewless  air. 

There  is  no  death!  The  leaves  may  fall, 
And  flowers  may  fade  and  pass  away; 
They  only  wait  through  wintry  hours 
The  coming  of  the  May. 

‘There  is  no  death!  An  angel  form 
Walked  in  our  hall  with  silent  tread; 

He  bore  our  most-loved  friend  away, 

.\nd  then,  we  called  him  ‘dead.  ’ 

.\nd  ever  near  us,  though  unseen, 

The  dear  immortal  spirits  tread; 

For  all  the  boundless  universe 
Is  life — there  are  no  dead.” 


[22] 


Memorial  Addresses 


Address  of  Mr.  John  S.  Darst,  of  Kanawha  County, 

Mr.  President:  If  I  may  be  permitted  to  do  so,  I  should  like  to  pay  a 
brief  tribute  to  a  life-long  friend  whom  I  loved  because  of  his  courage  and 
loyalty.  Thirty  years  ago,  when  I  attended  for  the  first  time  a  Republican 
convention  in  Jackson  county,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  a  young  man  of 
strong  physique  and  wonderful  energy,  and  whose  personality  I  felt  would 
wield  a  mighty  influence  in  his  community.  Later,  when  I  was  a  candidate 
for  member  of  the  House  of  Delegates  and  visited  the  people  of  Jackson 
county,  “Doug”  Shinn  not  only  extended  a  cordial  welcome,  but  entertained 
me  at  his  home,  which  was  then  some  ten  miles  back  of  Ripley.  It  was  Sunday, 
and  during  the  day  there  were  many  callers.  I  wondered  at  the  great  number 
of  people  who  came  to  see  him,  and  mentioned  it  to  him,  and  he  said,  “This 
is  a  pioneer  country;  these  people  are  poor,  and  they  are  settling  in  the  back 
part  of  Jackson  county,  and  they  come  to  me  with  many  of  their  wants.” 
What  impressed  me  at  the  time  was  the  willingness  of  “Doug”  Shinn  to  hear 
the  story  of  the  man  who  seemed  to  be  down  and  out  and  with  scarcely  enough 
clothes  to  make  a  respectable  appearance.  But  Mr.  Shinn  listened  to  him, 
and  I  later  learned  that  there  were  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  people  in  that 
county  who  had  been  helped  by  Senator  Shinn.  He  not  only  loaned  them 
money,  but,  being  a  businessman,  he  helped  them  in  a  business  way  and 
taught  them  to  help  themselves. 

In  all  his  dealings  Senator  Shinn  was  absolutely  dependable.  I  knew  him 
in  business  as  well  as  in  political  affairs,  and  I  feel  that  I  have  lost  a  great 
personal  friend.  I  know  that  Jackson  county  has  lost  one  of  its  best  citizens, 
and  his  many  friends  mourn  his  death. 

(President  Shaffer  presiding.) 

As  a  further  mark  of  respect  to  the  two  deceased  Senators  in  commemoration 
of  whose  lives  the  special  services  were  held,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Johnson,  the 
Senate  adjourned  until  April  24,  1923. 


[23] 


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